Snowy Branches

"Snowy Branches in Sunlight #1"   8" x 8"   $200 Framed

We're counting down to Christmas here. Hard to believe it's only one week away! I'm painting a few snowy scenes while winter feels festive. They're predicting snow in Seattle tonight, so we'll see what happens next!

I had some rare photos of my garden from a couple years ago when we had snow and sunshine. I've zoomed in and painted just  tiny sections of the branches.

I love the contrast of the blue and white! It proved to be quite a challenge for me to keep the color simple. I kept trying to add more color even where it was clearly not needed. It's also quite interesting to try to get that perfect sky-blue. There doesn't seem to be any particular single blue watercolor paint that really captures the right color. My blues here are a combination of cobalt and manganese. It's been so dark and dreary here, that just looking at the sky blue color seems to improve my mood.

Thank you to each one of you for all your kindness and support during this past year! Your wonderful encouragement is what keeps me painting!
Merry Christmas to you and all the ones you love!

"Snowy Branches in Sunlight #2"   8" x 8"   $200 Framed

Umbrella Forest

"Umbrella Forest"   18" x 21"   $650 Framed

A few years ago, our family visited the gardens at Tatton Park in England. (To see another painting I did from our visit to Tatton Park click here.) The plant shown in this painting is a Gunnera. These leaves really do get that big! This one is particularly happy, growing on the edge of pond.

It was a very rainy day. The Gunnera leaves made wonderful umbrellas! Hiding among the huge leaves, we were all the size of fairies in the garden! My children were especially delighted!

Yes, I know. This is an odd painting. I keep wondering why I can't just paint some nice roses or something. This is just another one of my favorite sort of images where the plants and trees create special places and you are completely immersed in the garden.

This painting was a real challenge with the leaves reflecting light from their surfaces and still showing light through underneath. There also is a certain tension between the figures and the leaves. The painting is about the leaves, and the figures are just there to give you scale, but the human brain wants so much to give the figures all of it's attention. (I guess we're wired that way.) I hope I've resolved the balance in the end and I hope you enjoy being immersed in the umbrella forest as much as we did!

Holiday Art Open House

Looking for unique and original gifts? Here's a chance to support local artists and a fun local business! Quirkz of Art in Fall City is having a special Spotlight on Art for the Holidays next Saturday, December 8.   

 

Quirkz of Art is right on the main street at 33511 SE Redmond-Fall City Road. They have a great selection of my art prints and notecards, plus several of my newest original paintings.

 

They'll be open from 10am to 6pm. There will be cookies! Just come for the cookies if you like!

Hope to see you there!

 

Celebrating Trees

I hope you and your families all had a happy and restful Thanksgiving weekend!

I took advantage of one of the quiet, rainy days and had some new notecards printed up. I've chosen four of my paintings that I think really capture the spirit of the trees and bring a little life and warmth into the long winter.

The new notecards are in packs of four for $10. There's one card of each of the four paintings in each pack. If you buy 3 packs of cards, I'll throw in a fourth pack for free! If you're interested in any, just email me at cmeyerjames@yahoo.com.

Icon Grill

I am very excited to share that I now have artwork on display and available for purchase at Icon Grill in downtown Seattle! The Icon Grill is a really interesting place just a block south of Westlake Center and on the edge of trendy Belltown. They're right under the monorail at 5th Avenue and Virginia.

The restaurant is a visual extravaganza, packed full of art objects and paintings by a number of artists. Icon Grill specializes in upscale comfort food. (I hear the gourmet mac and cheese is to die for!)

A big THANK YOU to Laura at Gallery Art Services for bringing my work into Icon Grill! To see more information on my paintings currently hanging at Icon Grill, please click here.

The Elder

"The Elder"   10.5" x 14.5"   $425 framed

It's November again. Watching the leaves fall, my heart always breaks a little. What a long time it will be until spring and leaves return. Now, the skeletons of the trees are visible again and their bony arms reach for the weak, cold sunshine.

This ancient tree really engages the imagination. It lives in Fall City, Washington just a few blocks from Quirkz of Art where I show my paintings. It's almost as if you can see its bones. Is it two figures trapped together in time? Is it a great and wise spirit that carries the scars of the years but knows more than all of us? If you were a rabbit and you stepped through that hole, where would it take you?

Willow Tree Enchantment

"Within the Willow"   15" x  24"   $850 Framed

Sometime in your life, you probably sat underneath a willow tree and watched the light stream in through the branches. There might have been a pond or stream nearby reflecting the sparking light. Perhaps, as the wind made the graceful branches sway, a calm and restful feeling came over you. You were hidden inside the tree in a special place. You were enchanted by the willow.

Many cultures give the willow tree magical properties or special significance. Native Americans used willow bark to relieve pain and fever. (The bark of the willow is actually filled with salicin, a precursor to aspirin.) Countless myths and legends from throughout the world give the willow special spiritual powers. An old willow is undeniably a special tree!

This particular willow was at the Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island. Painting a willow is an amazing challenge. The willow tree branches are not solid at all. They don't form shapes that have a light side and a dark side. They are all light and movement and transparency. I hope I've captured a small bit of the willow tree's magic in my painting.
 

Finn Hill Winery Winter Art Show

I'm very excited to announce a new show with ten of my paintings at Finn Hill Winery in Woodinville, Washington! 

Finn Hill Winery is a family-owned micro-winery dedicated to limited production of hand-crafted ultra-premium wines. The winery is releasing three new wines at its 2012 release party next weekend, Saturday November 10th and Sunday, November 11, from 1-6pm both days. I'm very honored that two of the new Finn Hill Wines feature my watercolor paintings on their labels. Please stop by, taste their wonderful wines, and enjoy the artwork!

Finn Hill Winery is open for tasting every Saturday from 12-5pm. at 18800 142nd Ave. NE in Woodinville, WA. They will also be part of Woodinville Wine Country's "Saint Nick's Winter in Woodinville" celebration November 30-Dec 2.

Japanese Lantern

"Japanese Lantern and Bridge" 15" x 11"
$275 framed

This is a smaller painting of the Seattle Japanese Garden. I had always wanted to paint that lovely stone lantern next to the bridge! Perhaps it will help you think of spring!

Purple Peppers

"Pick a Purple Pepper"   8" x 8"   $225 Framed

There is just something about Farmer's markets. I just love the look of fresh produce piled in the sunlight. The colors and shapes of the fruit and vegetables are a feast for the eyes as well as the kitchen table!

In the grocery store, peppers tend to come in tidy piles of uniform green, red and yellow (and maybe orange). I loved these peppers all mixed together. Many of them couldn't decide which color they wanted to be. And the purple ones were just gorgeous!

Toadstools

"Mother Mushroom"   8" x 8"   $225 Framed

With the fall weather upon us, I thought I'd try painting something autumnal. These are amanita muscaria - the quintessential toadstool. It's so amazing the way these things just push themselves out of the ground where you least expect them; bright red and covered with spots like something right out of a storybook. Such lovely, earthy things!

Stepping Stones

"Stepping Stones"   8" x 18"   SOLD

Just finished this small study of a scene in the Portland Japanese Garden. I really enjoy the movement in the composition - how the stepping stones lead you right up the levels in the Japanese lantern. I tried focusing a bit more on value than on edges in this painting. It gives the painting a bit more atmosphere.

I love stepping stones. They are a very helpful symbol to me. I tend to be the sort of person who impatiently charges ahead and wants to see the end result right away. I forget that it's the journey that matters; that every step along the way is important. Stepping stones remind me that all I can do today is take the next single step forward.

If you live in my area, please stop by Victor's Coffee House in Redmond during October. The place is full of my paintings! I am so excited to be the featured artist for this month in my very favorite local coffee shop! Thank you to all my wonderful friends who've been visiting my artwork there!

Also, this weekend, Oct 13 & 14 is the Snoqualmie River Arts Tour. There are some really amazing artists on this tour! You can see some of my paintings and prints at Quirkz of Art in Fall City (#23 on the map).

Lastly, if you're looking for a unique birthday gift or starting to think about holiday gifts, please check out my brand new spiffy 2013 art calendar at Zazzle.com.

Lan Su Chinese Garden

Windows and Doors, Lan Su Chinese Garden  18" x 24"  SOLD

A few months ago, I had the opportunity to visit the Lan Su Chinese Garden in Portland, Oregon. What a truly remarkable place! Nestled on one city block, smack dab in the middle of downtown Portland and surrounded by concrete and skyscrapers, is this little island of paradise! Although the size of the garden is limited, the number of special places in the garden seems almost endless. Countless windows and doors frame perfectly-designed views, each view worthy of a painting. Every slight turn of the head reveals another beautiful scene in the garden!
I loved this doorway. Not just a door, but also a window and a picture frame and a magical transition from one place to the next.


"Windows and Doors" detail

In spite of all my attempts to paint more loosely and expressively with watercolor, this painting exposes my continuing fascination with decorative detail. 



October Art Show at Victor's Coffee House

 

I am so thrilled to be the featured "Artist of the Month" for October at Victor's Coffee House in Redmond! This is my favorite coffee place in town and just down the road from where I live! Victors has amazing pastries and panini's, outdoor seating, and very friendly baristas. They even roast their own beans! I am personally very fond of their fluffy cappucinos in the big ceramic mugs.

I have 14 of my paintings at Victors through the month of October - big ones, little ones and even some of my newest and best ones! They are all available for sale. Victor's is at 7993 Gilman Street in Redmond, Washington. Please stop in and check out my artwork this month!

 

Link to 2013 Calendar

Hello Again!

Yesterday's post was supposed to include a pretty little panel from Zazzle.com showing a link to my new art calendars. Looks like the panel works on the laptop on the actual blog post, but it's missing on smartphones and in the emails that were sent out. Sorry about that. You just never know when you try something new!

Please CLICK HERE to link to my art calendar directly.

2013 Calendar

Announcing my first ever art calendar featuring my watercolor paintings! Click on the Zazzle box below to check it out! (Click on BUY to see the individual pages for each month, but you don't have to buy the item.)



make custom gifts at Zazzle

Signing Paintings

So many artists seem to have strong opinions about how you should sign your artwork. Some people insist it should be small and discrete. Others recommend a full and very legible signature to help people identify you when they want to google you. Some add only their initials. A few artists don't sign their work at all.

I get a lot of questions about my signature and the goofy little red thing next to my name and I really want to take a moment to fully explain it.

First, I am a big fan of Japanese prints. In most asian prints, the artist traditionally signs his work with a red "chop" or seal. The chop is like a rubber stamp, but it's usually carved in stone. (You can learn more about this on Wikipedia if you like.) A chop not only takes the place of a signature, but it is an active element that adds balance to the composition and meaning to the artwork. I am not a printmaker, so I paint my seal each time. The color is generally red, like a chop, but I vary the color depending on the palette of the painting. Sometimes the design even varies a bit.

It might also be important to know that I started my art career as a graphic designer doing logos. I have always enjoyed making symbols that try to embody a certain spirit or vision.

The circle in my "chop" is a seed. From the heart of the seed, sprout my initials "C" and "J". My paintings are an attempt to illustrate the power of life, of creation - that same wonder that we each feel when we think about what grows from a small seed. My little red signature chop also reminds me that in everything we do, we plant seeds and sow into the future of our lives, the lives of others, and the world around us.

And of course I still sign my name so you can google me. :)



Little Boys Growing Up

"King of the Forest"  11" x 17"  $425 framed

This summer, my 12 year old son grew taller than me and his voice changed. As a mother, it is really something to watch a little boy change into a man right before your eyes.

 

This painting was done from a family photo that was taken a few years ago on a hike. My son was so proud of himself for scaling that big rock! He was larger than life and king of the forest!

 

I imagine he must feel much the same way now, as he grows into his towering body with the confidence to take on the whole world. 

Alpine Meadow

"Alpine Meadow"  11" x 17"  $425 Framed

I just finished this painting of avalanche lilies. When the snow first melts away, the high meadows fill with avalanche lilies. Each flower is so small and delicate and beautiful. To see meadows filled with them takes your breath away! We saw this view on Mt. Rainier while hiking at Spray Park above Mowich Lake.

To see another painting I did of avalanche lilies click here.

If you are interested in purchasing this painting, please contact me at: cmeyerjames@yahoo.com

Under the Japanese Maple

"Under the Japanese Maple" 24" x 18" SOLD

To the embarrassment of many of my friends and neighbors, I have this strange habit of peering under Japanese maples. In public places, in parks, even in people's yards, I know no shame. 

Lace-leaf Japanese maples are everywhere in the Northwest. The huge majority of my neighbors have them. They take decades to grow, but the old ones are absolutely incredible. Under each tree's umbrella of dappled light is a hidden world. When I look under a Japanese lace-leaf maple, it makes feel very small, like a fairy living inside the moss and twisty branches.

I did this painting after a recent trip to the Portland Japanese Garden - absolute heaven for a Japanese maple peering person! Underneath, the moss just vibrates with life. The frog hides nearby, giving his approval of the health and vitality of the place. (To see my previous post about the frogs in my paintings click here.) I hope you enjoy my painting!

To Those Who Get My Blog Posts by Email

My apologies to those of you who have subscribed to my watercolor blog by email. I set up yesterday's post with Google Chrome instead of my usual Internet Explorer and got a nasty surprise with the background color of the text when the email post came through. Please go to www.catherinemjames.blogspot.com to read this post more easily online.

Yesterday's Woodinville Garden Tour

Yesterday was the 2012 Woodinville Garden Tour. The gardens were amazing, the weather was perfect! I saw so many good friends and made so many new ones!

As part of the day's festivities, my painting, "Dancing Branches", was raffled off. I have never seen so many people so who really wanted to own a piece of my artwork! I just have to thank everyone for showing such wonderful enthusiasm for my work. I am honored beyond words! They pulled the winning ticket at Molbaks about 4:30. The lovely woman who won couldn't have been happier. It was such a pleasure to meet her!

I am thinking I will have some quality giclee prints made of the painting for those who were so disappointed not to have won the original. Please contact me at cmeyerjames@yahoo.com if you're interested in a print.

A very big THANK YOU to the incredibly organized and enthusiastic members of the Woodinville Garden Club for choosing my painting for this year's poster and for making me a part of their wonderful events yesterday!

Finn Hill Winery Art Show

I am very excited to have 12 of my paintings currently hanging in Finn Hill Winery in Woodinville!

This week Thursday, July 19 is the Woodinville Warehouse Wineries Wine Walk from 4-8pm. These wine walks happen each third Thursday February through October. They feature tasting at over 20 wineries, microbreweries and distilleries, all within walking distance of each other. Please stop by, taste some wonderful wines, and check out my artwork!

Finn Hill Winery is a family owned micro-winery dedicated to limited production of hand-crafted ultra-premium wines. I have been very fortunate to do the artwork for a number of Finn Hill's wine labels. If you miss this month's Wine Walk, Finn Hill Winery is also open for tasting every Saturday from 12-5pm. at 18800 142nd Ave. NE in Woodinville, WA.

 

Aging Gracefully

"To Age with the Grace of a Trillium" 10" x 10" SOLD

I'm finally back in the studio after a busy month of art shows, end-of-school-year events, and a beautiful vacation to Glacier National Park.

This is a painting I began some time ago while painting at the Woodinville Plant Sale in May. Sometimes you think you plan a painting out carefully, and then it takes on a mind of its own and becomes something different. This is one of those paintings. It has taken me a while to post, because the painting took such a change of direction for me that I really wasn't sure if I liked the end result.

The original plan was to paint a small, simple cheerful flower. I selected a photo from my garden of a native trillium. These trilliums begin as white as snow, and after they are fertilized and begin to die, they become even more beautiful by turning pink or red. This is an aging trillium.

Somewhere in the last month, I also had a birthday and growing older was rattling around in my mind as I painted. The trillium painting subconsciously became more of a contemplation of graceful aging than the cheerful flower painting I had originally intended. The flower becomes more beautiful, more rich in color and intensity as it dies. The trillium is surrounded by dead and dried ferns, symbols of the last season's passed life. The shadow is rather menacing and dark - like the shadow of what is to come, yet on the trillium shines. And of course the little tree frog hides among the leaves, suggesting that life is in balance as it should be, and it is all part of the greater cycle of things. Oh, to age with the grace and beauty of a trillium!

So much for a simple pretty flower painting.

Father's Day Outing Ideas

If you live in the Seattle area, you've probably noticed that every summer weekend is just packed with art fairs and festivals. Father's Day is one of the first big festival weekends. If you're looking for an outing this weekend, here are a few suggestions where you can take Dad and maybe see some of my paintings as well!

Edmonds Arts Festival, Friday June 15 through Sunday June 17, Edmonds WA
One of the biggest and best art fairs in the region! My painting "Methow Valley Sunrise" is inside in the juried art show.

Fall City Days, Saturday, June 16 in Fall City, WA
Don't miss the big parade in the morning and all the food and fun! Visit Quirkz of Art right on the main road through town and see my paintings and the work of many other local artists. If you're looking for a Father's Day gift, they have a number of very affordable prints of my work, including prints of my recent painting "Cathedrals of Shade" showing a Dad and child biking together on the Snoqualmie Valley Trail.

Museum of Northwest Art Auction, June 16, La Conner, WA

I'm always looking for an excuse to visit beautiful La Conner. The annual art auction is this Saturday night at the museum, featuring about 300 works from Northwest Artists. My painting, "The Bridge to Far Away" will be included in the auction. If you just want to stop in and see all the artwork, the museum is free and open for the public to preview the auction pieces on Friday noon to 5pm and Saturday 11am-3pm.

Mercer Slough, Bellevue, WA

Seven pieces of my artwork are currently featured in the Mercer Slough Environmental Education Center as part of their "Art in Nature" exhibit organized through EAFA. The Mercer Slough is a beautiful 320 acre nature park just south of downtown Bellevue. It includes wetlands and meadows and 4 miles of trails. They even do canoe tours! Take Dad for a walk! For information on the park location, Visitor Center hours, and programs, click here.

Mercer Slough Art Exhibit June 1-July 6, 2012

I am so excited to have seven of my paintings displayed for the month of June at the Mercer Slough Environmental Education Center. The paintings are hung in their beautiful Visitor's Center (The building with the angled roof in the photo.) The exhibit is part of the Eastside Association of Fine Artists Public Art Program.

The Mercer Slough is a beautiful 320 acre nature park just south of downtown Bellevue. It includes wetlands and meadows and 4 miles of trails. They even do canoe tours! For information on the park location, Visitor Center hours, and programs, click here.

Stop by for a peek at the artwork and a nature walk! My paintings will be there until July 6.



The Wisteria



"Wisteria Veil"   10" x 24"

My wisteria is in full bloom in my garden right now. It is just breathtaking. There's nothing like walking under a veil of lightly scented blossoms. Before we had our house, it was always a dream of mine to have a wisteria one day. My husband's parents bought the plant for me 15 years ago when we first bought our house. My husband and father-in-law built the arbor for me. I love how with age, the plant just gets more and more beautiful.

In the painting, I tried to capture how the light filters down through the leaves and flowers and creates a sort of curtain or veil. The softness of the flowers is such a contrast to the geometric hardness of the arbor. The long rectangular design emphasizes the beautiful long blossoms of the wisteria.

Painting in the Sunshine

The weather this weekend was so lovely! I painted Saturday at the Woodinville Garden Club Plant Sale. Sunday, I painted at Gallery Wine & Art in Kirkland as part of the Kirkland Artist Studio Tour (KAST). Initially I was pretty nervous, but I really could get used to doing this. It was wonderful to meet so many people who love art! Thank you to everyone who stopped by and said hello! Special thanks to Jan and Jihee for the photos!

Woodinville Plant Sale & Kirkland Artist Studio Tour



Poster featuring my painting "Dancing Branches"

This weekend I'm gonna be bizzzzzie!

This Saturday, May 12, I'll be painting at the Ste. Michelle Winery at the Woodinville Garden Club plant sale, as their poster artist for 2012! The original painting will be there, and I'm guessing they will have posters available as well. For more information about the sale click here.

While you're in the neighborhood, don't forget to go up English Hill and visit the Redmond Garden Club plant sale where some of my favorite plants and favorite people will be on Saturday! The address for that plant sale is: 17817 NE 131st St., Redmond, WA  98052

This weekend is also the Kirkland Artist Studio Tour! The Tour runs both Saturday and Sunday, May 12 & 13, from 10:00-5:00. Eleven of my paintings and a bunch of my prints are available for sale at Gallery Wine & Art at 702 Market Street in Kirkland as part of the tour. I'll be there on Sunday, May 13 painting from noon to 5:00. For more info on the Kirkland Artist Studio tour click here.

The weather is supposed to be wonderful and sunny this weekend - Perfect for plant sales and art tours! Hope to see you somewhere this weekend!

Cathedrals of Shade


Trees can create such special spaces. There's nothing like being surrounded by a forest full of light! The most magnificent cathedrals of Europe have to come in second place.



"Cathedrals of Shade"   10"x 18"

The Return of the Light


We have had the most beautiful spring weather the last few days! The flowers are blooming with all they have in them and the trees are leafing out in that amazing glowing green. And the sun - Oh how we Seattlites have missed the sun! No wonder the birds are singing!

After painting small careful botanical studies for a while, I seem to have painted something very different - a full watercolor sheet in an almost impressionistic style. It's a rather exuberant celebration of the return of the leaves on the trees and the return of blessed spring!



"The Return of the Light"   24" x 18"

The Willow

Spring Willow 11" x 14"

I love this place. Anyone recognize this willow from along the Sammamish River Trail in Redmond? There really is something irresistible about old willows. To stand underneath a great grandmother willow is to be enclosed and protected and in a world all your own. This willow is just leafing out now. She seems just magical to me with her great twisting arms. What an excellent place for a spring picnic!

New Ferns

New Ferns   8"x 8"   SOLD

I love fern fiddleheads. They are like springs of unstoppable energy! Fiddleheads are such a terrific symbol of the life-filled potential that the earth just resonates with in springtime!

This is the last of the five little square spring paintings in this series. I hope you've enjoyed seeing them this past week. These original 8"x 8" framed paintings are currently available through Gallery Wine & Art in Kirkland, Washington.

I also had some lovely 6" x 6" archival prints made of each of the five little paintings. These very affordable little prints are available unframed at Gallery Wine & Art and Quirkz of Art in Fall City for only $20.

Welcome Spring!

Apple Blossoms & Squares

Apple Blossoms   8" x 8"   $250 Framed

Here is another in the series of small paintings I have been posting this week. These are apple blossoms in my garden.

This series of paintings is the first time I have ever worked in a square format. Squares are so very different from the elongated Japanese-style rectangles I prefer. In the square format you have to work a whole lot harder to create a sense of motion and energy. In this painting, the motion comes from the strong diagonal branch curving toward the sunshine. I just loved the cool soft shadows inside these flowers!  

Cupid's Garden

Cupid's Garden   8" x 8"   $250 Framed

Have you ever really looked at bleeding heart flowers? Most people stop at "Isn't it cute that they are heart-shaped?". They are the strangest flowers! Totally sensual and definitely worth a closer look. I wonder if Georgia O'Keefe ever painted them?

I'm thinking of this little group of 8" x 8" paintings as my "Arrietty" series. If you saw the recent movie by Studio Ghibli, you know just what I mean. I love the viewpoint of the borrowers, like being a little bug in the garden.

I saw this quote by Dr. Kendyl Gibbons this morning on the website of a fantastic watercolor artist named Cathy Hillegas :

The miraculous is all around us. Treasures lie at our feet, bend in the wind above our heads, and unfurl on stems at our kneecaps. Usually, we walk right by without seeing them. Every painting is an attempt to say, “Stop! Look at this. No, really. Take a minute and just look at this!”

Hellebores and Strong Women

Lenten Roses   8"x 8"   $250

If you grow hellebores (also known as Lenten Roses) in your garden, you know how wonderful it is to see them appear so early in the spring. They are the first blooms to appear in my garden in late January and they still look wonderful now as April begins. These girls are tough! They endure frost after frost and torrential spring rains. They show bravery, endurance and perseverance and still somehow they remain beautiful. Hellebores remind me of the women I admire most.